RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Commonwealth University Police are ramping up traffic enforcement efforts as part of a new safety initiative for drivers and pedestrians.
According to the department, officers will focus their efforts within just a five-block area along Belvidere Street, from West Broad Street to Canal Street.
“We’re focused on the traffic as it passes through our campus, making sure that everyone obeys the traffic signals, and to slow down and obey the traffic laws,” said Major Ervin Taylor. "We want them to understand that they're on a college campus and it's different than driving on your normal street."
Between January 1 and March 31 of this year, VCU Police issued 105 citations along the Belvidere corridor, a 69% increase from the 64 citations given in the same problem area in the same timespan last year. According to VCU Police data, there has been an uptick in citations given in the first quarter of the year for the past four years: 22 traffic violations reported in 2022, 42 traffic violations reported in 2023, 62 traffic violations in 2024, and 105 in 2025.
The uptick in ticketing is not random. Since the start of the school year, VCU Police reported 20 crashes involving pedestrians, two of them along the same corridor now at the center of the current safety initiative.
"I know students will feel safer knowing that we're out here," Taylor said. "We want them to feel, as they approach intersections, to know that it's safe to cross, as long as they're doing what they're supposed to do, and that's looking both ways, putting down the distractions, as far as cell phones, and taking out the earbuds and just listening and knowing what's around them."
Officer Jose DeJesus, who's been an officer for over 20 years, said traffic enforcement operations are often used as educational opportunities for drivers and pedestrians, rather than an opportunity to just ticket drivers.
“One supervisor told me that you treat everyone like your friend, you get a lot more respect out of them and you’re able to kind of fix a lot of issues without necessarily having to resort to an arrest or a ticket," DeJesus said.
DeJesus said the increased enforcement and patrols, which are expected to continue through May, are a crucial step in curbing dangerous or illegal habits and building a relationship with the community.
"That’s a win. If they see me and they decide to follow the rules and keep their speed down and not run red lights, to me, you’ve done your job," DeJesus said.
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